Automatic timer



l. L. SLAWTER.

AUTOMATIC TIMER.

APPLICATION man MAR. 5. 1919.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

I l J justs itself to the varying IBA. LEON SLAWTER, 0F GRAND PRAIRIE, ALBERTA, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC TIMER.

Specieaton of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 20, 1920 Application filed March 5, 1919. Serial No. 280,775.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, IRA LEON SLAWTER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the town of Grand Prairie, in the Province of Alberta, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Timers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic timers, which are also capable of being utilized as spark plugs, and the objects of the invention are to facilitate timing the spark of kan internal combustion engine, so that ignition of the explosive mixture will take place at the proper moment, and thus a maximum power will be generated in the engine, to render the device capable of automatically adjusting itself to suit the conditions or load under which the engine is running, so that the spark will be sufliciently advanced under all circumstances to ignite the explosiveV mixture at that point at which the working stroke is about to commence, and to render the timer and spark plug self contained. n j

Further objects are to eliminate many of the parts which are at present utilized in the timing and ignition mechanism of internal combustion engines, to simplify the present device as far as possible, so that the upkeep of the engine will be cheapened'and the liability of the several parts going out of repair will be greatly reduced.

Further Yobjects are to` eliminate leakage, and obviate the necessity of frequentA repacking, and generally to render the several parts accessible for inspection.

Heretofore it has been found necessary when timing an engine to experiment with the engine under varying loads, and by adjusting the timing mechanism discover wherein the best results are obtained. This adjusting of the timing mechanism is manually performed and every load under which the engine is working calls for a manual adjustment of the timer to suit these conditions. Under the present invention the timer is initially set and automatically adconditions under which the engine operates, and in this way insures the best results possible being ob.-

tained without any inconveniences which resultfwith the timers at present in use.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists essentially of the iniproved construction hereinafter described and set forthin the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary vertical section of the cylinderof an internal combustion engine with the improved timer and combined spark plug mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the improved timer and combined spark plug. the stem and sleeve being in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved timer and combined spark plug.

Fig. 4i is a fragmentary vertical section of an internal combustion engine cylinder, showing the improved timer' cooperating with an ordinary spark plug.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cylinder of any usual construction and B the improved timer operatively mounted thereon. This timer comprises a casing of conducting material formed of two portions 10 and 11 threaded together, the portion 11 being internally threaded to engage with an adjusting nut 12, which is secured in the desired adjusted position by a set screw 13 threaded through the wall of the portion 11 of the casing.

Slidably operating in this ycasing is a stem 14 incased in insulating material 15, on which an outer sleeve 16 ofconducting material is mounted, the sleeve 16 being provided intermediate of its length'with a valve 17 faced on both sides and adapted to coact with the shoulder 18 formed in the interior of the lower portion 10 of the casing, or with the bottom of the threaded end of the portion 11, so that all leakage of combustible fuel is eliminated during the movement of the insulatedstem 1i and sleeve 16.

This 'stemis designed to be held in its normal position by a spring 19 coiled therearound and located between the lower end of the nut l2 and the upper face of the valve 17.

The lower end of the casing 10 is provided with a tapered threaded portion 2O which engages with an orifice in the head of the cylinder A, and a Contact 21 is secured,

to the threaded portion 2O and extends downwardly and below the stem 14'for au object which will be made clear hereafter.

On the upper end of the portionll of the casing an insulatingwasher of mica or other suitable material 22 is secured, and on this Washer a ,second washer of insulating material 23 is positioned and above this last said Washer a third Washer 21 of insulating material is positioned. lt will be under-y stood that the 1. vasliers 22, 23 and 24C may;l

be made in a single portion if such is found advisable or necessary. n

Superimposed on the Washer 24e is a con..

ducting plate 25 having an arm 26y which is connected through the Wire 27 with one.

portion of the Wiring of an electric circuit,

`'and the conducting plate 'embraces they upper end of the insulated. stem 14f,.the edgefoif the orifice inthe plate being suolik that, on the `longitudinal movement of the insulated stem and sleeve 16, Contact will vbe made between the sleeve and the plate25.

il/*lien the stem 111 and sleeve 16 have been moved in a longitudinal direction anelectric circuit is closed, and the current iioivs through the wire 27, arm 26, contact plate 25, sleeve 16, the casing, the contact ,'21,

the stem lei, and the Wire 28 which is connected to the other portion of the Wiring of the electric circuit, thereby closingvthe circuit which includes a .sui le` supply of electrical energy, Vd a spark stormed he.

tiveen the loiver end yoit the stem and con@ tact member 21, such sparlr igniting vthe combustible mixture in the cylinderflr bringing about the requisite explosion iro-drive *they piston.

lt should be particularly noticed that the circuit is completed on the longitudinal out- Ward movement of the insulatedv stem 14;Y y and sleeve 16, so that this movement should.

the en Oune be controlled by the' operation of -gr itself, and so permit of the timer-being au-l so that the insulated stein 1d and sleeve 16 will be returned to its normal position and break the circuit as soon as the compression in the cylinder falls below the predetermined limit, for which. the 'spring is initially set,

are in normal position the valve 1T' coacts l With the shoulder 18 and preventsleakage of combustible fluid from the cylinder, and on longitudinal moif'enient oiC the said stein and sleeve, the valve 1T coacts with thev lower threaded end of the portion 11 of the casing and prevents leakage ot the conibustible mixture. f

To give an example of lioiv this timing` device is set, it mayV be preferable to consider 1When the insulated stein 1st and sleeve 1G` Leonesa y for oiiemoinent an automobile which is manually cranked,during the starting operation, and in this case the spring isv tensioned, so that the insulated stein 1d and sleeve 16 will move' longitudinally only `when a maximum oenei'gyhas been applied by the operator to'tlie hand ycrank lever, and` in this Way anuexplosionis -olrtained only when the compression of the engine exceeds tliatfivhicli' could Abe overcome by hand cranking." f

It will -noiv be evident .that should'the compression in the 'cylinder not rise above 1Athativliicli is attained by hand cranking Vthen no spark is vobtainedf` Y .l llilheii :thecompression in the engine rises as the engine assumes normal working con-A ditions .and speed the compression increases and the spark will be automatically ady vanced topsuitI the compression obtained in the cylinder 'above that for which 4the spring .19 has been.. initially set.

lltivill 'be clearunder those circumstances that timerivi'll-l automatically adjust itseli' to the load, so that ignition oi; the exj plosive mixture ivilltalre place at the proper point of the piston strole of tlie engine to ve tire best po sible results. i lien' the oei/ice is used exclusively as a llimer, it'acts i,n^c oiijiinction With an ordinarl si lr plug such as is illustrated at() i .YT ffl'me xii .1' iii r ig. n t iis ease it Tail` oe uiiueistood ,thatgtlieivire dispensedwvitli, and the QU is connected to a ivire 29 forming ,rt oan electric circuit. ','lllie contacting'plate- 25 `is in this ycase providefdvith 'Wire 27 also: connected to the electric 'cii`cfiii t,fand, when the linsulated plunger 111 andffsle'eve 16 is moved longitudinally'by the Tcoi'np'ression iii the cylinder,

ythe, sleeve Will"contact'ivith the contacting plate 25 closing a circuit including the contact sleeve 16, the casing, earth through the cylinder," thence through the plug C' Which kis also earthed, and through the wire 29, thereby creating a `jump spark which will ignite the combustible fluid in the cylinder. i y 1 i The operation of .the timer in this case is the saine as' that already describefh'so that upon the same.

l. I 5 `it is thought unnecessary totui-ther enlarge The ignition will take` placealways :is a

predetermined compression is obtained forl Y which the 'spring 19 is set and as the compression increases the spark consequently a difanced.

this description it may beclear that I have invented a timer which is automatic in its action, and whereby the spark of an internal combustion engine will be automatically controlled, so that it vis advanced as the compression exceeds a pri-aletermined limit so that the engi lt controls the action ofthe device i,

.ius atomatic .i 30

gio out of 'order from any Widely different embodiments of my 1nven' tion, within the scope of the claims, constructed Without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all Inatter contained in the Vaccompanying specilication and drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

`1. A timer of the class described comprising a casing, a contacting member, a stem of conducting material, an insulating member surrounding the stem, a conducting sleeve surrounding the insulating material, the

said stem and sleeve being designed to be moved outwardly when the pressure in the cylinder exceeds a predetermined limit,re silient/ means for returning the member to its normal position, and means for adj usting the said resilient means.

'2. A device of the class described comprising a casing having spaced valve faces therein, a member movable in the casing` designed to make and break an electric circuit as the pressure in a cylinder exceeds and falls below a predetermined limit, and valve means located between said spaced valve faces and designed to coact With either for preventing leakage about the stem and sleeve during the movement of the same.

In Witness whereof have hereunto set In hand.

y IRA LEON sLAWrEn. 

